According to recent data, roughly ten percent of pregnant women take an antidepressant. Numerous research studies have shown that antidepressants cross the placenta. What effect does this chemical exposure have on the developing fetus?

In this course, Dr. Adam Urato, a practicing OB-GYN at Tufts University School of Medicine, reviews what science has to say about that question. He details the role that serotonin plays in normal fetal development, and reviews the extensive literature, from both animal studies and human studies, that warns of potential harm to the fetus and newborn child from exposure to a drug that disrupts normal serotonin function. Dr. Urato also discusses the financial conflicts of interest that have led to a societal failure to warn pregnant women of this risk.